1975 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB

History of the Ferrari 365 GT4 BB

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Berlinetta Boxer (365 GT4 BB) is a mid-engine two-door sports coupe. When it was unveiled at the 1971 Turin Motor Show, it marked a step-change in Ferrari design, as the first flat 'boxer' engine Ferrari (all previous models being some sort of 'V' configuration).

Although sharing a model designation with its predecessor the 365 GTB/4 Daytona, the 4.4-litre flat-12 365 GTB/4 BB was a very different beast, and when first sold in 1973 was intended to compete with the Lamborghini Countach which was under development at the time. Based on Ferrari's semi-successful Formula 1 3-liter boxer, the 365 GTB/4 BB's engine was the world's first flat-12 put to use in a passenger car.

The Pininfarina body was of the wedge variety, with many cues taken from the carrozzeria's striking P6 show car of 1968. Utilising a semi-monocoque chassis with fore and aft subframes, the car's low profile and the longitudinally mounted, horizontally opposed engine worked in harmony.

Generating 344 hp, the 365 BB loves to rev and screams all the way to a claimed top speed of 188 mph, though a 40/60 weight distribution could make handling tricky at high speeds. For all their ferocity on the street, Ferrari Boxers never enjoyed much success on the race tracks of the world and privateers had little luck with the 365.

Just 387 Ferrari 365 BBs were built before Ferrari unveiled the Ferrari 512 BB for 1976, of which only 58 were UK- market cars. Today, their position as a ground-breaking Ferrari is indisputable and they have comparisons with other supercars of the era like the Lamborghini Urraco, Maserati Bora and De Tomaso Pantera.